Director, Program Spaces and Design

Job Purpose
The Director, Program Spaces and Design leads the planning, design, development, and construction of Liliʻuokalani Trust capital projects and owns the long‑term strategy for the physical spaces in which LT programs serve kamalei and ʻohana. The Director has decision authority to direct design firms, consultants, and contractors on the Trust’s behalf. During active capital work the Director drives projects from conception through closeout, including governance, budgeting, design management, due diligence, entitlement, permitting, and construction oversight. When capital work slows, the focus shifts to program spaces across LT: space planning, renovations, refreshes, and alignment of facilities with program needs. The Director supervises the Manager, Program Spaces and Design and partners closely with the Director of Strategic Initiatives, program leadership, Real Estate, and Team Services.

Essential Responsibilities
Capital Project Leadership and Governance

Serves as LT's decision authority on assigned capital projects, directing design firms, consultants, contractors, and subcontractors to achieve project goals.

Establishes project governance: decision‑making structure, escalation paths, meeting cadence, decision logs, and clear roles and responsibilities for all participants.

Collaborates with leadership to set project goals and objectives, ensuring program plans inform design.

Oversees and directs all project phases from conception to completion and closeout, including schematic design, design development, construction documents, bidding, and construction administration.

Manages project budgets, cost scenarios, schedules, and implementation plans; develops preliminary cost estimates and leads value‑engineering processes.

Handles due diligence workstreams (environmental, archaeological and cultural, geotechnical, survey, traffic studies) and sequences long‑lead items early.

Leads consultant and vendor selection: issues RFPs, evaluates proposals, drafts contracts, and negotiates terms with legal counsel.

Interacts with city and state officials, permitting agencies, design review and approval boards, and landowners to advance entitlement and permitting.

Ensures compliance with city and state licensing, fair housing, zoning, building code, and HIOSH requirements.

Maintains work to the highest development and LT authority standards.

Keeps executives, trustees, and stakeholders informed with reports and presentations.

Owns LT's long‑term program space strategy, developing multi‑year plans for renovations, refreshes, and new environments.

Oversees space planning, office and program layout, and workspace utilization in collaboration with program leadership and facilities teammates.

Partners with youth program teams to ensure spaces are welcoming, functional, and appropriate for kamalei and ʻohana.

Incorporates Team Services leads in design and implementation plans for new and renovated spaces.

Manages contractor and vendor relationships for facilities improvement; maintains LT’s good standing in the community.

Staff Administration

Supervises the Manager, Program Spaces and Design; plans work, coaches, and manages performance.

Works with People Operations to identify staffing needs, recruitment approaches, and consultant capacity.

Tracks project progression and provides scheduled and ad‑hoc reports to senior management and executives.

Risk Management

Identifies and evaluates potential risks; collaborates with authorities and LT’s Risk Management team to implement measures.

Ensures risk and compliance documents are up to date and available to relevant authorities.

Enforces all safety guidelines on construction sites.

Other Duties

Contributes to the Trust’s success by accepting new assignments, helping team members, learning new skills, and striving to improve team and organization results.

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Architecture, Building Construction, or Construction Management, or equivalent related experience.

Minimum of ten (10) years of experience managing large‑scale design and construction projects, including pre‑construction planning, design, estimating, scheduling, budgeting, and contract management.

Proven experience serving as a decision authority on construction projects.

Strong preference for experience with Hawaiʻi land entitlement, permitting, and design review processes.

Experience with program‑serving or community facilities (early childhood, youth, family services) preferred.

Knowledge of HIOSH compliance regulations; advanced knowledge of construction management processes and quality standards.

Comfortable reading and interpreting blueprints and drawings; proficiency in Mac OS, industry software, and Microsoft Office; proficiency in Asana and Smartsheets preferred.

Industry accreditations such as AIA, CPM, and PMP preferred.

Job Competencies

Can manage high‑pressure deliverables and complex projects across multiple units.

Knowledge of change‑management principles to manage the people side of capital projects and space transitions.

Negotiator who cultivates relationships with team members, consultants, contractors, and regulatory partners; promotes teamwork, accountability, and cooperation.

Strong interpersonal skills; builds collegiality among diverse professionals.

Sound judgment and decisiveness; weighs cost, quality, schedule, and program impact.

Translates technical design and construction matters into clear language for program staff, executives, and trustees.

Works independently with confidentiality and initiative; maintains a positive attitude.

Flexible hours, including nights and weekends; travels to meet strategic needs.

Key Required Competencies

Aloha: compassion, empathy, and kindness.

‘Imi Naʻauao: lifelong learning.

Po’okele: excellence.

Wiwo’ole: courageous and fearless mindset.

Pono: proper timing, place, reason, people, and tools.

Kuleana: deep sense of responsibility and accountability.

Organization Competencies

Alignment with Queen’s legacy: understanding and appreciation of Queen Liliuokalani’s story and Hawaiian culture; respectful relationships with Hawaiian communities.

Continuous learning and improvement; reinforcement of a learning environment.

Effective communication; consistent and mutual understanding.

Critical thinking and problem solving; analytical and fact‑based recommendations.

Innovation; integration of creative ideas into services and problem solving.

Building relationships and creating trust; moving the organization forward.

Teamwork; cooperative collaboration with others.

Capacity building; encouraging personal growth and trust in others.

Travel Requirements
Occasional travel across the island, inter‑island, and out‑of‑state may be required. Travel may not always be needed, but the ability to travel when required remains crucial to performing this role.

Mental And Physical Demands
Perform light physical work, including climbing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, reaching, and lifting up to 25 pounds. Exposure to outdoor climate and diverse terrain.

Terms and Conditions of Employment
As a condition of employment, employees are subject to LT’s policies and procedures.

Equal Opportunity Employer
Liliʻuokalani Trust is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We strive to recruit, train, and retain innovative talent from a diverse candidate pool. All employment decisions will be based on merit, competence, performance, and business needs. Applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, ancestry, genetic information, citizenship, marital or civil union status, arrest and court record, domestic or sexual violence victim status, credit history, disability or veteran/military status, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.

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